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Romney wins Utah; GOP holds governor and senator spots

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Republicans nationwide have some hard-fought battles on their hands during the Tuesday general election. But not in Utah. Romney is virtually

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney easily won Utah in Tuesday's general election, while Gov. Gary Herbert secured a win and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch defeated his Democratic challenger to serve a seventh term in office.

Romney, while losing his bid for the White House, was essentially assured a victory in the heavily Mormon state where he oversaw the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Republicans, meanwhile, swept Democrats across Utah, securing wins in races for attorney general, treasurer, state auditor and three congressional districts.

The tightest race, however, was the newly-created District 4 where incumbent six-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, 52, edged Republican Mia Love.

Love, 36, a Mormon and the daughter of Haitian immigrants, gained momentum after scoring a coveted speaking slot at the Republican National Convention, and garnering endorsements and fundraising help from Ann Romney, GOP Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The mayor of Saratoga Springs stood to become the nation's first black GOP woman in Congress if she had won, knocking out Utah's only Democratic representative in Washington. Matheson took a chance at running in the new, more urban District 4, rather than his sprawling, remapped District 2 that covers most of southwest Utah.

Voters on Tuesday also chose to re-elect Hatch over Democrat Scott Howell, who garnered headlines recently when he made the incumbent's age and the senator's 36 years in office a major point of his campaign. Howell, 58, sent emails to voters suggesting the 78-year-old might retire or die before the end of his term.

Hatch's campaign countered that he had no plans to do either.

"I'll do the best I can for my seventh term," Hatch said after being declared the winner. "I will be the most senior Republican in the Senate. This will be my last term."

In a GOP sweep for the top ticket races, Herbert defeated Democratic challenger Peter Cooke, a retired Army general, to serve his first full term.

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Herbert, 65, became governor in 2009 when then-Gov. Jon Huntsman joined the Obama administration as the ambassador to China. He had been the heavy favorite in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since Scott Matheson in 1980.

"I'm honored to get four more years as governor of Utah," Herbert said. "It's humbling to have this victory tonight."

Republican John Swallow won over Democratic challenger Dee Smith in the race for Utah Attorney General. Swallow has been chief deputy under Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who is retiring, while Smith serves as Weber County attorney.

"I am so excited," Swallow said. "I am ready to rock and roll."

In other congressional races, Republican newcomer Chris Stewart, a former Air Force pilot, environmental consultant and author, beat out Democrat Jay Seegmiller, for the District 2 seat vacated by Matheson.

In District 1, five-term incumbent GOP Rep. Rob Bishop won over Democratic political newcomer Donna McAleer, of Park City, the director of a health care nonprofit. In District 3, covering southeast suburbs of Salt Lake City to the Arizona and Colorado borders, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz easily defeated his Democratic challenger, architect and Salt Lake City Council Chairman Soren Simonsen.

Republican John Dougall won the race for state auditor while the GOP's Richard Ellis was elected state treasurer.

Utahns also were deciding 101 state legislative seats along with two constitutional amendments.

Voters approved one that exempts members of the military from property taxes if they served on active duty out of state at least 200 days in a year.

The second amendment would determine whether some of Utah's severance tax revenue from mining, oil and gas companies should be deposited into a rainy-day fund. State lawmakers then could only spend from the fund's principal in an emergency and with approval from the governor and three-fourths of the state Senate and House.

Alexander Andresian, center, weeps as President Obama is declared the winner on election night during the Nevada State Democratic Party gathering at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. John Gurzinski, AP

Bill Purcell votes at the Centerville Fire Station in Centerville, Idaho. The economy was his big concern as he cast his vote. "I think it needs to be overhauled. I think a new president would help," he says. Katherine Jones, The Idaho Statesman via AP

Sheresa Walker uses a flashlight as poll worker Lloyd Edwards assists before voting in a makeshift tent set up as a polling place at Scholars' Academy, PS 180, in the Rockaway neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York City. Mario Tama ,Getty Images

New York City firefighter Terence O'Donnell stands on sand among voting machines as he prepares to vote in a makeshift tent set up as a polling place at Scholars' Academy, PS 180, in the Rockaway neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York City. Mario Tama, Getty Images

Hundreds of people wait in line to vote at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. Some people had to wait longer than four hours to cast their vote at the school. Ross Taylor, The Virginian-Pilot via AP

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., left, laughs as she joins her husband John Bessler, not shown, and daughter Abigail Klobuchar Bessler to cast her vote at the Marcy School in Minneapolis. Elizabeth Flores, The Star Tribune via AP

Assistant election officer Belinda Strickland, left, assists a voter who had a problem with a change of address at precinct 613 Westgate at Washington Mill Elementary School In Fairfax County, Va. J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Election workers Ann Marut, left, and Phyllis Gubitosi wrap themselves in blankets to keep warm while working at a polling station at Silver Bay Elementary School in Toms River, N.J. Andrew Burton, Getty Images

Evelyn Dennis prepares to hang an American flag as election workers set up voting booths at Memorial Elementary School on Nov. 6 in Little Ferry, N.J. The school is hosting all voting districts in the area because most of the town is still without power after Hurricane Sandy. Julio Cortez, AP

A clerk tabulates ballots at a polling station just after midnight on Nov. 6 in Dixville Notch, N.H., which bills itself as "First in the Nation" on Election Day. Each candidate received five votes, the first tie in Dixville Notch history. Rogerio Barbosa, AFP/Getty Images